Steakhead in Philadelphia- Morimoto and L'Angolo

From the moment I made the reservations at Morimoto’s in Philadelphia 3 weeks ago, I had been counting the days to last Friday. Masaharu Morimoto, or also known as the Iron Chef, has a very distinguished career as one of the top sushi chefs of the country, including a gig as the executive chef of the famous Nobu in New York City. You will see a lot of the Nobu experience at Morimoto’s, from the ultra-hip atmosphere and décor to the $100 Omakase dinner. The chef’s selections also closely mirror my Omakase dinner at Nobu Las Vegas with the Toro Tartare being equally heavenly at both.

If I had one knock on Morimoto’s, it was that it was just a tad too loud. It was very difficult to hear your companions and the wait staff (my father had a particularly difficult time following the conversation). Be warned- this place is not for the meek of wallet. But for a once in a decade sushi experience, it ranks equal to Nobu in my estimation.

Two nights later, we went in the complete opposite direction. Philadelphia should be known for 2 culinary specialties- cheesesteaks and Italian food. And when you go for Italian, it doesn’t get anymore authentic than L’Angolo in South Philly. L’Angolo is located on Porter St, just off of Broad St near the very southern tip of South Philly (this is just a few blocks from the sports complex).

The row house that L’Angolo occupies looks like something Rocky ran by when training for Apollo Creed. The Italian flag outside marks the location, and you walk in through the kitchen. The number of tables maybe totals 15, and it fills up fast. We walked in at 5:45 on a Sunday and got the last seat in the place. Mario Lanza (native South Philly) and other opera singers pour out of the sound system (but not too loud). As for the décor, its not much to speak of, but the food is very authentic and the “straight off the boat” wait staff is very accommodating.

We started off the mussels and grilled calamari which were outstanding. For entrée’s, I went with a more traditional spaghetti with seafood, while my Dad went with a pasta with butternut squash. Different, but tasty. (Lady Steakhead had something with eggplant, but since I don’t like eggplant, I didn’t pay much attention to it.) Supposedly, they are known for the best gnocchi in the city. We have been there multiple times now, and we have been pleased every time. Bring a bottle of wine if you go, since its BYOB. But this helps keep the cost to a very reasonable amount. Three of us gorged with multiple appetizers and fantastic entrée’s for $85 total. Authentic, great food and not expensive- a real find!